Senior Momentum

Senior Momentum

For elderly people with diminished senses of touch and sight, loss of feeling in the feet can make it difficult to walk. The Israeli company MediGait, headquartered in Bar Giyora, has come to their assistance with GaitAid, a wearable display system that reëstablishes the feedback usually provided by tactile sensation. A person wearing the display visor sees a high-contrast checkerboard pattern. A pedometer-like device worn on the waist detects heel strikes and makes a sound whenever the wearer’s foot touches the ground; it also repositions the checkerboard to provide a visual cue. MediGait says that users who practice with the device for 20 to 30 minutes at a time can achieve significant improvements in mobility even when not wearing it.